Folding wringer mechanism



Sept. '17, 1929. A. w. ALTORFER FOLDING WRINGER MECHANISM Filed Jan. 4,1926 TIEJ.

INVENTIJR 7%m EIY @nfic Patented Sept, 17, 1929 UNITED STATES ALPHEUS W.ALTORFER, OE PEOBIA, ILLINOIS FOLDING wnmenn mncnamsu Application filedJanuary This" invention I relates to disappearing wringer mechanism.

The object of the invention is in the provision of mechanism whichpermits the movement of a wringer mechanism to a lowered position or oneof non-use, as well as a movement to an upright or operative position,said mechanism including such pivotal connection between the wringermechanism and the supporting means as to require no adjustments.

Another object of the invention is-inthe provision of a simple,off-center pivotal connection between the wringer mechanism'andsupporting means therefor, which permits manual lowering of the wringermechanism, as well as raising to an operative position, withoutadjustment.

Still another object thereof is in the provision of a simplifiedconnection between a wringer mechanism and the supporting means thereforthat permits manual lowering of the wringer mechanism to an inoperativeposition,

I as well as raising same to an operative position, without adjustment,said connection being fashioned to permit the weight of the wringer,when in a raised position, to establish the operative connection withthe supporting means.

Other objects of the invention will appear in the followingspecification, taken in connection with the annexed drawings, in which-Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a disappearing wringer mechanism, showingits connection with a conventional washing machine, portions thereofbeing broken away for a more detail showing;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the wringer, showing same in raised andlowered positions; 7

Fig. 3 is a detail showing of the pivotal connecting means;

. Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3. I

Referring to the drawings, I have shown the disappearing wringermechanism, as applied to a conventional washing machine of theso-c'alled oscillating disk type. Inasmuch as the present application isdirected specifically to the connection of the wringer mechanism withthe supporting means therefor, only I a driving connection establishedwith the ossaid housing member including therein a ver- 4, 1926. SerialNo. 79,075.

a general description of the washing machine is thought necessary.

A supporting frame is shown at 10, this frame being fashioned tosupportia conventional tub 11, as well as the well known driving meansfor the oscillating disk 12 therein. In the present instance, thedriving connections include an electric motor 13, a belt drive 14 with apulley 15. The pulley 15 has cillating disk 12 by means of the gear 16,shaft 17, crank 18 and gear 19.

With respect to the driving mechanism for the wringer, a housing memberis shown at 20,

tically disposed drive shaft, said drive shaft being driven in aconventional manner through a series of gears 22 connected with theabove described driving means for the washing machine. The main driveshaft 21 has a suitable bearing 23, adjacent its upper end, which isclutch fashioned as at 24. A conventional wringer assembly has beendescribed, the same including roller members 25, a horizontally disposeddrive member 26 therefor, a clutch mechanism 27 permitting movement ofthe rolls in either direction, and the vertically disposed stub shaft28, said stub shaft in the present instance having its lower end 29fashioned in a clutch manner fordetachable engagement with the clutchfashioned upper end 24 of the drive shaft 21.. The housing 30 of thewringer mechanism, in the present instance, extends merely to a pointadjacent the lower end of the stub shaft 28, while, as beforedescribedflshe housing 20 of the main drive shaft 21 extends also to apoint adjacent. the upper end of the drive shaft 21.

To permit lowering of the wringer mechanism to an inoperative position,or rather to the dotted line position shown in Fig). 1, applicant hasfashioned his connection etween the opposed housing members in thefollowing manner. A bracket 34, surrounding the upper end of the housing30, has the opposed lug members 31 projecting outwardly therefrom insuch direction and in such manner as to receive the projecting ends of abolt member 32, which is supported, as shown in Fig. 100

is disposed in an angular manner with respect to the adjacent portions,with the result that the wringer mechanism, when lowered, assumes theposition shown in dotted lines Fig. 1, said position not-beingperpendicular to the vertically disposed drive shaft. This results insuch a position for the wringer, when folded, that none of itsprojecting elements extend beyond the outermost outlines of the machine(note the left side of Fig. 1). The complete unit is therefore morecompact by this arrangement and can be conveniently crated. This angularfashioning of the bolt member and connections therefor does, however,permit the vertical alignment of the stub shaft with the main driveshaft when in a raised position, and merely assists in the manualmovement of the wringer mechanism to either of its positions. A

With respect to the operation of the disappearing wringer mechanism, itis obvious that manual movement of the wringer will permit it's beingreadily lowered to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 1, about thepivotalconnection which is established between the housing of thewringer mechanism, and the housing for the vertically disposed driveshaft. It follows naturally that there is a disengagement between theopposed ends of the main drive shaft 21 and the stub shaft 28 in thewringer mechanism. However, and as explained, there is provided adetachable clutch relationship, which permits this movement to thelowered position and the return to a raised position with. therespective disthat it is necessary for the operator to do in moving thewringer to a used or unused position is to move it manually to either ofthe positions desired.

What I claim is: '1. in combination, a power-actuated driving member, ahousing therefor, an inclined pivot carried by said housing, a wringersecured to said pivot for rotation to an upper operative position and toa lower inoperative position, and having a bearing surface engaging saidhousing at a point disposed laterally of said pivot, a driven memberassociated with said wringer and adapted to releasably engage saiddriving member, said wringer being displaced with respect to said pivotin the direction of said point so thatthe weight of the wringer tends tomaintain engagement between said driving member and said driven member.

2. In combination, a wringer, a supporting member therefor, an inclinedpivotal connection between said wringer and said support, whereby thewringer may be rotated to an upper operative position and to a lowerinoperative position, said wringer, when in operative position, beinglaterally displaced from said connection whereby the weight of thewringer tends to rotate it about the connection, and means for limitingsuch rotation.

3. In a power driven wringer, a vertical shaft, means providing formovement of the wringer about the shaft as an axis, a folding pivot forthe wringer inclined with respect to a horizontal plane, whereby whenthe wringer is rotated on said pivot it will assumea position inclinedwith respect to the horizontal.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature.

' ALPEUS W. ALTORFER.

engagement and engagement of the clutch faces. It will be also notedthat due to the ofi-centre pivotal connection between the wringermechanism and the housing, or support 20 for the vertical shaft, theweight of i the wringer, when in an upright position, isthe means forholding same in an operative position and that there is no attachmentmeans necessary for holding the wringer in this upright position. It istrue that the supporting arm 38 engages-the-lug 37 in a manner to holdthe wringer in an upright position, but it is obvious that any abutmentmechanism might be used to permit the wringers assuming an exactlyvertical position. However, it is reiterated that the Weight of thewringer alone is the only neces- 'sary means for holding the wringer inan up- 7 right or operative position, and therefore, all

